Materials handling container



MATERIALS HANDLING CONTAINER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 26. 1954 a6 7% o \2 Fla-.2- 42 a4 54 as 7 E715 5. A INVENTOR. r Cfiam/e: d/fx a/ /W WW a 6M July 22, 1958 c. c. AVERILLY MATERIALS HANDLING CONTAINER s Sheets-Shee t 2 Filed Nov. 26, 1954 IN VEN TOR.

BY WW4 44 July 22, 1958 c, c, A ERM 2,844,278

MATERIALS HANDLING CONTAINER 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 26, 1954 IN V ENTOR.

'Zwem/ 2,844,278 MATERIALS HANDLING CONTAINE Charles C. Averill, 'Albion, Micli., assignor to Union Steel Products Company, Albion, Mich.

Q Application November 26, 1954, Serial No. 471,413

8 Claims. (Cl. 220-97) This invention relates to improvements in walled materials handling pallets which may be stacked for shipping and are well adapted to withstand the shocks normally occurring in transportation.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a walled materials handling pallet which may be stacked and the stacked pallets secured together in stacked relation so that they effectively withstand the shocks such, for example, as are incident to railway transportation.

Second, to provide means for locking a superimposed walled pallet upon a supporting pallet which while effective for the purpose permits the ready release of the superimposed pallet.

Third, to provide a leg structure which is capable of sustaining heavy loads and at the same time is of relatively light weight.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an end elevational view of a pallet embodying my invention with certain wall parts broken away and sectioned to show structural details.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view viewed from the left of Fig. l. i

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view partially in section on a line corresponding to line 3-3 of Figs. 4 and 5 and with other parts broken away to show structural details.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing details of the deck bed and one of the legs provided with a locking dog.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view partially in horizontal section on a line corresponding to the broken line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in section on a line corresponding to line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig.7 is a fragmentary plan view partially in section illustrating details of the pallet structure and also a modified form of locking dog.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view partially in section showing further details of the locking dog of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is an end elevation of a leg formed as an integral casting with a modified form of mounting for the locking dog.

The embodiment of my invention illustrated is especiallly adapted for use as a shipping pallet, for example, pallets to be loaded and placed in freight cars in stacked relation. Freight cars are subject to severe shocks in switching, coupling and the like, which shocks tend to shift loaded pallets in the car and to shift stacked pallets relative to each other. One of the objects of my invention is to provide means for maintaining the stacked pallets in their stacked relation to each other.

In the embodiment illustrated the pallet deck desig- United States Patent O nated generally by the numeral 1 comprises an upper series of rod like slats 2 disposed in spaced parallel relation and a lower series of slats 3, similarly disposed in spaced parallel relation and in crossing relation to the upper series of slats and fixedly secured thereto at their crossing points by welds indicated at 4. This form of grid-like deck is old.

The deck is provided with a deck bed comprising side members 5 desirably of upwardly facing channel section and cross members 6 also desirably of upwardly facing channel section. The lower series of slats are disposed in crossing relation tothe side bed members 5 and fixedly connected thereto as by welds 7 to the upper edges of the flanges. The upper edges of the cross bed member 6 project above. the upper edges of the side members 5, in supporting relation to intermediate slats of upper series which are welded thereto as indicated at 8. The inner flanges of the side sill members have openings 9 therein in which the ends of the cross members are disposed. The legs designated generally by the numerals 10 and 11 are the samein structure with the exception that the legs 10 are provided with locking dogs 12 for purposes which will be described later. Preferably there are opposed pairs of legs 10 at one end of the structure. The leg structure is such that they may be readily fabricated from plate stock.

The legs 10 and 11 comprise top members 13 and bottom members14 connected by outer and inner uprights 15 and 16. The bottom members have upwardly offset portions 17 which coact with the lower ends of the uprights 15 to form downwardly facing stacking recesses. The top members are provided with upwardly projecting flanges 18 and with upwardly projecting lugs 19 and 20. The lug 19 is spaced from the flange 18 to receive the bed side member between them.

The legs 19 and 20 are laterally ofi'set relative to each other to engage opposite sides of the cross bed members 6. The lug 19 is positioned at one edge of the opening in the inner flange of the bed member 5 and is welded to the side of the cross members 6, as indicatedat 21, the lug 20 being welded to the other side as indicated at 22. This provides a very rigid connection for the legs and bed members which is of importance as the structures are subjected to very severe stresses in use.

It is desired to point out however, that in factory warehouses and the like it is also a matter of advantage to lock the pallets in stacked relation to prevent accidental .displacement, such as might result from the shock of forcible contact with a pallet of an adjacent stack as the pallets are being stacked or a pallet removed from a stack.

As I have pointed out the foregoing description applies to legs 10 and also to the legs 11. However, as stated, the legs 10 are provided with the locking dogs 12 which in the preferred embodiment are pivotally mounted on the pins 23 disposed through the front upright and a post 24 provided to support the inner end of the pin. The pin is arranged through a hole 25 in the front upright and is desirably secured by means of a weld 26. The purpose of this being that if repair is required the weld may be ground off to release the pin at the same time the pin is securely retained. The pin is arranged through the dog at 27. The coil spring 28 on the pin yieldingly urges the dog against the front upright which is provided with a fixed detent 29 coacting with the recess like keeper 30 in the dog when the dog is in its retracted or elevated position to hold it in that position.

The side walls 31 are provided with holders 32 and 33, the holders having upwardly projecting hooks 34 facing in the same direction. These holders 32 and 33 are the same with the exception that the holders 32 are provided with keepers 35 with whichthe locking dogs 12 coact when one pallet is superimposed upon another with the legs of the superimposed pallet engaged with the hooks of the holders.

In the embodiment illustrated ,the side walls 31 are provided with jinwardly ,projecting hinge arms 361at their lowerend's connectedlby'gthe hinge rods 37 which are hingedly connected' by the"coils 38,.to the adjacent deck members 39.

The end walls 40 are provided fwith downwardly projecting lugs 41 attheir lower ends and have vertically spaced locking bolts 12 engegeablefwith keepers :3 at the ends of the side walls. permits'the removal of atleast one end wall. QI-lowever, these features form no part of my present finvention. The side walls 3 1 are'desirably provided with a 'pair.of"top bars 44 to which the holders '32 are fixedly secured, as by the welds 45, see'F-ig'o.

In the embodiment.shown infFig. 7 the legs 46 which correspond to thele'gs'll are provided with a transverse wall 47 to which the pivot blocks 48 for the pivot .49 is secured.

In this embodiment the dog'50 is disposed transversely of the holders having the keepers. The embodiment previously described is preferred however as the dog is mainly housed within the leg. The dog 50 is slotted at '5-1 to permit pivotalen'd sliding movement thereof so that the dog' may be swung upwardly and shifted longitudinally to engage with the stop 52 forholding the dog in retracted'position, as shown by dotted 'lines'in Fig. 8. The stop 53 limits the downward swing of the dog so that itdoes not swingbelowthebott'om of the leg. However, the stop 53 is positioned so that the dog effectively engages behind the keeper 35.

'Inthe'embodimentshownin Fig. 9 the leg designated generally by the numeral- 54 has the same general contour and features as the legspreviously described, but is formed as a casting. 'In this embodiment the pin 55 corresponding-to the pin 23 is supported at itsinner end by an internal boss 56 and is retained-thereinby the locking pin '57.

In the embodiment illustrated the deck is preferably provided with spaced parallel bars 58- on which the heavy material may be disposed; These serve as reinforcing bars for'the deck and alsoassupports for-finished parts which might be abraded by contacting with the grid deck.

To prevent-injury of" the grid walls such as might result by contaeting-with interior parts of a freight car or the like the side walls are provided withguard .bars I orrails-ofl-"des'irably of inwardly facing channel section and fixedly-secured in horizontal position to'the outer sides of the' vert-i'cal slatsof-the'side walls. These: guard rails also project-beyond the -end edges of the end Walls and serve both to guard the sides and :endwalls.

I have illustrated and describedmy inventionin a highly practical commercial embodiment thereof. Iihave not attemptedto-illustrate or:describe various adaptations and modificationswhich lcont'emplate as it: isbelieved this disclosure will-enable those skilled in the 'art to embody or adapt my inventionas desired.

Having'thus-described-the invention,what is claimed as new-and is'desiredtobe secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In awalled materials handling pallet, the combination of adeck bed" provided with walls and comprising side members and-cross members extending between the side members, the side-members being of upwardly facing channel section and having opening in theirinner flanges, a deck mounted on and fixedly secured to said deckbed members, legs comprising top. members having upwardly projecting flanges adjacent their outer sides-and upwardly projecting lugsspaced laterally from the flanges; and relative to each other, said deck side'members being disposed on saidleg top members between the flanges and adjacent lugsand fixedly securedthereto, the d'ecl cross members being disposed in said openings in said inner" flanges of said deck side members and between said pairs of lugs of the top leg members and fixedly secured thereto, at least one of the legs having a locking dog pivotally mounted thereon for vertical swinging movement, a detent for holding said dog in retracted position, and stacking holders on opposed walls adapted to receive the legs of a superimposed pallet and provided with leg engaging hooks facingin the same direction and with which the legs of a superimposed pallet .may-be slidably engaged, atleastone holder member of each pallet being provided with a keeper with whichthe, locking dog of Ia superimposed pallet maybe engaged and thereby prevent sliding disengagement of the legs from..the hooks .of said stacking holders.

2. In a walled materials handling pallet, the combination of a deck bed provided with walls and with legs having downwardly facing stacking recesses, at least one of the legs having a locking. dog pivotally mounted thereon .for

vertical. swinging movement, a detent for holding said dog in .retractedposition, and stacking holders on said walls adapted to receive the legs of a superimposedpallet and provided with leg. engaging hooks facing in the same direction; and with whichthe legs of a superimposed pallet may be slidably engaged, atleast one holder member of each pallet being provided with a keeper with which thelocking dog of a superimposedpallet may be engaged and thereby prevent sliding disengagement of the legs from the hooks ofsaid stacking holders.

3. In a walled materials handling pallet, the combination of a. deckbed provid'ed with walls and with legs having downwardly facing stacking recesses, at least one .of the legs having a locking dog, adetent for holding nation of a deck provided with-walls, legs comprising spaeed top and bottom members and laterally spaced inner and outer uprights integral therewith, the bottom members having downwardly facing stacking recesses therein, at least one of the legs having a post disposed inlaterall y'spaced relationto its outer upright, a locking dog disposed between and pivotally mounted on thepost and the upright for vertical swinging movement, adetent for said dog disposedon'the innerside-of the. upright for holding said dog in retracted position,said dog having a keeper recess coacting with said detent, and upwardly facing stackingholder members. ou opposed walls adapted toreceive the legs of a superimposed pallet and provided with hooks facing in the-same directionand with. which the-legs of a superimposed'pall'et ma y be engaged, at least one holder member of each palletbeinglprovided with a keeper with which said locking dog may be engaged and thereby prevent. disengagement of the legs from the hooks of said stackingholder members.

5. Ina walled materials handling pallet, the combination of a deck provided with walls, legs comprising spaced top'andbottom members and laterally spaced inner and outer uprights integral therewith, the bottom members having I downwardly facing stacking recesses therein, a locking dog pivotally mounted on one of the legs between the uprights thereof, a detent for holding said dog in retracted position, stacking holder members on said Walls adapted to-receive the legs of asuperimposed pallet and provided With hOOkSfaClng in the same direction and with which'thelegsof a superimposed palletmay be engaged,=at-least oneholder member \ofeach pallet 5. being provided with means with which said locking dog may be engaged and thereby prevent disengagement of the legs from the hooks of said stacking holder members.

6. In a walled materials handling pallet, the combination of a deck provided with walls, legs comprising spaced top and bottom members and laterally spaced inner and outer uprights integral therewith, the bottom members having downwardly facing stacking recesses therein, a locking dog pivotally mounted on one of the legs between the uprights thereof, a detent for holding said dog in retracted position, stacking holder members on said walls adapted to receive the legs of a superimposed pallet and provided with hooks with which the legs of a superimposed pallet may be engaged, at least one holder member of each pallet being provided with means with which said locking dog may be engaged and thereby prevent disengagement of the legs from the hooks of said stacking holder members.

7. In a walled materials handling pallet, the combination of a deck provided with walls, legs having downwardly facing stacking recesses therein, and upwardly facing stacking holder members on said walls adapted to receive the legs of a superimposed pallet and provided with hooks facing in the same direction and with which the legs of a superimposed pallet may be slidably engaged, at least one leg of each pallet being provided with a locking dog engageable with a holder member thereby preventing disengagement of the legs from the hooks of said with a locking dog engageable with a holder member thereby preventing sliding disengagement of all the legs from all of said stacking holder members when the locking dog is in holder member engaging position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,053,969 Olds Sept. 8, 1936 2,317,044 Faulkner Apr. 20, 1943 2,330,982 Martin et a1. Oct. 5, 1943 2,446,634 Coit Aug. 10, 1948 2,447,556 Bitney Aug. 24, 1948 2,512,517 Bruce June 20, 1950 2,632,578 Brickman Mar. 24, 1953 2,666,552 Coit Jan. 19, 1954 2,732,967 Metcalf Jan. 31, 1956 

